The Demolition of the Origin of Public Transport in Hong Kong - Tsim Sha Tsui Transport Interchange
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Our Fading Daily Life and It's History: The Demolition of The Origin of Public Transport in Hong Kong - Tsim Sha Tsui Transport Interchange Prepared for Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage - 12 TH International Seminar, Hanoi, Vietnam, Apr, 2009 Authors: Leslie Chan, Ka-Long Edmond Chui, Kai-Wing Loy Ho Douglas Lau, Kai-Him URL: http://www.ourbusterminal.org/ Email: [email protected] First Version, Feb, 2009, submitted to UNESCO Second Version, May, 2009, Updated according to UNESCO’s comment, Hong Kong Leslie Chan, etc, 2009, “Our Fading Daily Life and It's History : the demolition of the Origin of Public Transport in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Transport Interchange”, Paper for Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage - 12 TH International Seminar, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2009 Table of Contents I. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 II. Background ........................................................................................................................ 3 III. A Cultural Significance Identifying Approach under HUL ...................................... 5 1. Historic Significance of the Transport Interchange ................................................. 5 2. Social Significance of the PTI .................................................................................... 7 3. Aesthetic Significance of the Transportation Hub ................................................... 9 4. One Step Further – Cross-Effects between Fundamental Values ..........................11 IV. Comparison of Values..................................................................................................... 12 V. Recommendations............................................................................................................. 14 VI. Conclusion....................................................................................................................... 15 Bibliography.......................................................................................................................... 16 Appendix I – Analysis of Proposed Traffic Plan ................................................................ 20 Appendix II – Detailed Historic Backgrounds................................................................... 22 Appendix III – Aesthetic Value: the “Form follows Function” design of PTIs............... 26 Appendix IV - Statistics of Passengers Numbers of Harbour-Crossing Transports....... 27 2 Leslie Chan, etc, 2009, “Our Fading Daily Life and It's History : the demolition of the Origin of Public Transport in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Transport Interchange”, Paper for Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage - 12 TH International Seminar, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2009 I. Introduction For over 30 years, historic and architectural area have been evaluated and categorized as separate entities or “groups of buildings” under the 1976 “UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Safeguarding and Contemporary Role of Historic Area”. It has been argued that the notion is no longer useful to protect the characteristics and qualities of historic towns 1. In response to tourism interest, town areas adjacent to the listed monuments are facing an ever-increasing pressure of re-development.2 This is the reason of turning to the “Historical Urban Landscape” (HUL) concept with regard of how to properly monitor the needs for modernization in more comprehensive manner. As a trial process, this paper aimed at providing a case study of identifying the value of a site in Hong Kong, surrounded by several listed monuments and landmarks, which is now under threat of removal - the “Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier Public Transport Interchange” (hereafter refer to as “the PTI”). Under the framework of HUL, this paper demonstrated an examination process of identifying the value of such an historical site adjacent area. By reporting the research data and “Statements of Cultural Significance”, we listed key themes that need to be retained for this site. The paper ended with recommendations in response to these themes, of which we anticipate to act as a reference to the monument and development authorities, what other cultural aspects should be noticed and studied before planning the regeneration process. II. Background The PTI locates at the southernmost part of Kowloon peninsular. Within this small cape point, several historic architectural heritage aggregated around, the Peninsula Hotel, the former Marine Police Headquarter, The Clock Tower (of the former Canton-Kowloon Railway Terminal), Star Ferry and Ocean Terminal. They formed a series of evidence reflecting the colonial past and the urbanization history of Hong Kong. In 2003, the Tourism Commission of Hong Kong Government proposed to replace the bus terminal of the PTI with a piazza, and possibly with a shopping mall that would allow 1 Ron Van Oers, 2007 2 World Heritage Centre, Orlinda, 2007 3 Leslie Chan, etc, 2009, “Our Fading Daily Life and It's History : the demolition of the Origin of Public Transport in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Transport Interchange”, Paper for Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage - 12 TH International Seminar, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2009 maximum height up to 5 storeys, in an attempt to provide a new “tourist attraction”. The current PTI consist of a bus terminal, a taxi station and a private vehicle lay-by. They are all within a short distance of 20 – 30m (30sec walking) from the Star Ferry Pier, 40m from Ocean Terminal, which is very convenient for land-sea transport exchange. We have analyzed the possible changes that the PTI will face soon, the detailed comparison of existing and the future layout is listed in Appendix I. Base on the analysis, the p otential negative impacts on the traffic are summarized on below : 1. The current facilities of PTI are will be split into several places. Some are even 700m away from the original place. This will definitely eliminate the advantage of concentration provided by the original PTI. 2. Additional transfers with extra time and money will be cost to passengers, all this bring a less convenience access to sea transport. 3. Currently over 45,000 people travel across the sea through this PTI daily. A less convenience access to sea transport might drive passengers to other cross-harbour transports, and made their already congested peak hours even worst. Despite the above traffic issues, would the removal cause any other negative social effect that the government may not notice? Would it break the integrity and continuity of a living heritage area which may have great cultural meaning to our society? In fact we found the regeneration plan has not been consulted thoroughly by informing citizens that the site is involved in a historic area. We would believe they just missed out probably due to the current conservation policy is still under-developed. The authority might be in lack of execution guideline to examine the historical site re-planning process. With the help of introducing the framework of HUL, we believe it could help analysis the site’s cultural value properly. 4 Leslie Chan, etc, 2009, “Our Fading Daily Life and It's History : the demolition of the Origin of Public Transport in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Transport Interchange”, Paper for Forum UNESCO - University and Heritage - 12 TH International Seminar, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2009 III. A Cultural Significance Identifying Approach under HUL According to Vienna Memorandum 2005, a HUL contains the following features : 1. embedded with current and past social expressions and developments 2. place-based (instead of separate building oriented) 3. composed of character-defining elements - include land uses and patterns, spatial organization, visual relationships, topography, etc. We applied the methodology suggested by Burra Charter of Australia ICOMOS, the charter shown a logic that is highly coherent with the natures of HUL. Burra Charter’s tool, “Statements of Cultural Significance” (SCS) which also evaluate heritage in place-based, value both the current and the past. In order to concentrate our effort, we use this tool to analysis on 3 aspects : historic, social and aesthetic value. 1. Historic Significance of the Transport Interchange If we review the architectures of the existing bus terminal separately, it’s 50-60 years history would be regarded as “too young” in current HK heritage policy. But if we extend the boundary into its nature of service and in relation to its associations with the Ferry, Bus, Railway and International Cruise facilities, the image of the place as a “Transport Interchange System” immediately pop up. Historic materials shown the place has already been working as Transport Interchange continuously for over 120 years. When analyze the list of related historic events taken place on the site 3, we found 2 common features : 1.1 Most of the historic events are related to transportation issue : a. First regular cross-harbour ferry launched in 1888 b. Clock Tower, the listed monument, originally a part of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Station, was opened in 1910, connected Kowloon and Guangzhou in mainland China, and all the way to Russia and then Europe. c. First public bus route of Hong Kong launched here in 1921 3 Please Refer to Appendix II for a brief history of Tsim Sha Tsui 5 Leslie Chan, etc, 2009, “Our Fading Daily Life and It's History : the demolition of the Origin of Public Transport in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Transport Interchange”, Paper for Forum UNESCO - University